Copenhagen - The Lively City

Since arriving in Copenhagen we have been struck with how active and lively the city and its people seem to be. Just walking around this city - and walk we do - seems to imbue a feeling of vitality and good health.   

Our apartment with its lovely courtyard park

We have had the good fortune to rent a lovely apartment in the Islands Brygge part of Copenhagen, just a 10-15 minute walk from the famous Tivoli Gardens and the downtown area, and just a block away from the waterfront along the canal.

Jumping into the canal from one of the elevated walkways

Kayak water polo

A young family enjoying the morning

Copenhagen's canal system is surprisingly clean and is used as both a waterway and a giant recreational area. Tour boats are all electric so as not to pollute the water. 

The Islands Brygge area is lined with raised walkways filled with people sunbathing and jumping into the water for a quick dip, as well as roped off recreational areas and children's paddling pools.  

We even saw a young man on a sled much like the red saucers we used to toboggan down the snowy slopes of Canada in the winter, fly down the wooden ramp shown above and shoot out into the water to the delight of his friends.

Grads having fun.

Residents of Copenhagen seem to be very family oriented. The city teems with bikes, baby carriages and pregnant young women, and it is not unusual to spot two or three generations of family picnicking together.  This even extends to the wildlife, which doesn't seem to be bothered by the milling throngs







One of the liveliest weeks was graduation week for the high schools.  Every day large trucks would drive by loaded with kids hooting and hollering and singing and dancing in celebration of the end of school.  They looked like they were having so much fun we just wanted to join in the revelry.

A street musician in front of City Hall

The activity is not just confined to our section of the waterfront. 

Copenhagen may just be the most walkable city on earth as it is very flat and we find that simply crossing a bridge or wandering through a park will bring us to new sights and sounds.  

People friendly sculpture

More people friendly sculptures 

We could discover an interesting street musician, or pause to people watch while resting on one of the sculptures designed for climbing or sitting.




We could find ourselves laughing in delight as people young and old bounced along a sidewalk embedded every few feet with a mini-trampoline.  



Our daily wanderings often take us several

Bouncing your way home.
Trampolines embedded in the walkway.

kilometers from home and we have yet to be bored by the sights.

Of course we have also been to many of the typical tourist sites.






We have visited The Little Mermaid, famous for losing her head on at least two occasions, and surprisingly small for such a famous sculpture.

The Little Mermaid with her fans - a little smaller than expected.

We have gazed upon the sculpture of Hans Christian Andersen located outside City Hall on Hans Christian Andersen Boulevard. Although his coat and hat are weathered, his knees and toes have been buffed to a smooth shine by the many tourist who stop to take "selfies" with this icon of their youth.

Hans Christian Andersen with his shiny knees and toes

Copenhagen is by design one of the most eclectic cities we've experienced to date.  It is a city rich in modern architecture and historical buildings, waterways, parks and attractions built to suit modern life, and those designed by Kings. But that's a subject for another post. Skal!

ANOTHER PERFECT DAY IN SUNNY SPAIN

The view from our terrace.

As we sit on the terrace watching the morning sun set the Mediterranean sparkling like a million sequins, we reflect how lucky we are to be back in sunny Spain.  The little beach town of Mojacar (Mo-hawk-ar) may be one of our favourite places to visit and will be difficult to leave.  It is not unusual to pass the entire morning on the wide sunny terrace enjoying our coffee and the ambience before suddenly realizing that as the lunch hour approaches we need to get moving and run our errands before the shops close for siesta.  After a quick burst of energy to replenish our supplies, we take our lazy bums to lunch in one of the many excellent restaurants and cafes along the beachfront road running through Mojacar Playa.  There we can spend a couple of hours relaxing over a delicious three course meal (8-11 euro including wine, beer or soda) while visiting with friends or people watching along the promenade.  Then home for a short siesta before sharing tapas and a pint on the terrace or back down along the promenade.  It's easy to socialize here as everyone is relaxed and just strikes up a conversation with the next table at the little cafes and pubs.  

The beautiful Mojacar Playa as seen from one of the Moorish Watchtowers along the coastline.  Yes that is a two-way road the car is navigating.

Dinner in Europe is usually enjoyed anytime between 8:30 and 11:00 p.m. when everyone has finished their evening stroll or sunbathing on the beach, and can last several hours. It is again a three course event with wine or Sangria, or a pint for the many Brits who live here.  We mostly skip the dinner hour as we usually have leftovers from lunch or are still full from the late afternoon tapas. It's a wonder Europeans remain so thin.

One of the Moorish Watchtowers not far from town.  These were built along the Almeria coastline in the 12th and 13th Century and could communicate signs of invasion from the sea.  Yes we made the climb.

With all the relaxing and eating and socializing, you would think we wouldn't have time to do any sightseeing. Surprisingly we've managed to do a lot.  There are countless towns and sights all within a hour's drive from our sleepy little corner, each with their own personality and charm. Our friends Dick and Anita visited last week from Portugal and we managed to explore the cliff top Mojacar Pueblo; 

Mojacar Pueblo

Navigating the streets in Mojacar Pueblo.  This is how they stay so slim.

and marvel at the old stone houses hanging over the straight, rocky cliffs of Sorbas. 

Sorbas - notice the house hanging right off the cliff on the right. This is a zoom lens - the village is up a mountainside

We shopped the enormous Sunday market at Villaricos (where I think Anita replaced her entire wardrobe for around 50E); 

Waiting for Churros at the market.

The market drugstore.  A cure for whatever ails you.

and we rediscovered the seaside village of Carboneras where Omar Sharif filmed parts of Laurence of Arabia.

Statue of Laurence of Arabia in Carboneras. Omar Sharif visited in 2012 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the film.

We navigated the rugged cliffs of the 'Siren's lighthouse' in Cabo de Gato near Almeria and tried not to get blown off into the sea. 

The "Siren" lighthouse at Cabo de Gato.  As this is the southern tip of the Almeria district of Spain, many shipwrecks would occur along the rocky coastline while sailing out of the Mediterranean towards the Atlantic.

A seaside villa at Cabo.

A fun afternoon was spent at Fort Bravo, otherwise known as Texas Hollywood, where the spaghetti westerns were made. That experience is a post in itself.  Needless to say our evenings have been spent watching old westerns with a more discerning eye.

Hasta Luego Amigos!